1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a head-protection air-bag device mounted in vehicles.
2. Description of Related Art
One type of head-protection air-bag device is shown in, e.g., Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 11-91489, in which a head-protection air-bag body, which is deployed like a curtain so as to cover at least the center pillar from the inside of the vehicle compartment, is mounted in a folded state along the roof side rail.
In the head-protection air-bag device of the above-mentioned publication, the head-protection air-bag body has a plurality of vertically extending inflation chambers that receive a gas from the above. Accordingly, if deployment is started in the state where the lower end of a corresponding portion of the head-protection air-bag body, i.e., the lower end of a portion that covers the center pillar upon inflation and deployment of the head-protection air-bag body, is not sufficiently inflated, the lower end of the corresponding portion may become hooked at an interior projection of the vehicle compartment such as a slip joint at the center pillar. This may hinder the deployment of the head-protection air-bag body. For example, the lower end of a portion that covers the center pillar upon inflation and deployment of the head-protection air-bag body may intrude in a gap that exists at a root of the slip joint, that is a narrow gap formed between the slip joint and a surface of the center pillar, and then the portion become hooked at the slip joint. This also may hinder the deployment of the head-protection air-bag body.
According to a first aspect of the invention, a head-protection air-bag device includes a head-protection air-bag body that can be mounted in a folded state along a roof side rail, and deployed like a curtain so as to cover at least a center pillar from an inside of a vehicle compartment. This head-protection air-bag device includes a deployment-direction regulator that regulates a deployment direction of the head-protection air-bag body toward the inside of the vehicle compartment. The deployment-direction regulator is provided at a position above and adjacent to an interior projection of the vehicle compartment such as a slip joint at the center pillar.
The deployment-direction regulator may be a projecting portion provided integral with a center-pillar garnish and may be substantially triangular in vertical cross section. Alternatively, the deployment-direction regulator may be a projecting portion provided integral with a getting-on/off assist grip and may be substantially triangular in vertical cross section. The getting-on/off assist grip is fixedly attached to an upper end of the center pillar. Alternatively, the deployment-direction regulator may be a projecting portion provided integral with a slide plate and may be substantially triangular in vertical cross section. The slide plate is mounted to an adjustable anchor that is vertically adjustable in position while supporting the slip joint.
In the head-protection air-bag body according to the first aspect of the invention, even if deployment is started in the state where a lower end of a corresponding portion of the head-protection air-bag body, i.e., a lower end of a portion that covers the center pillar upon inflation and deployment of the head-protective air-bag body, is not sufficiently inflated, the deployment-direction regulator provided at the position above and adjacent to the interior projection such as the slip joint at the center pillar guides the lower end while regulating the deployment direction thereof toward the inside of the vehicle compartment. Accordingly, the lower end of the corresponding portion of the head-protection air-bag body can be effectively prevented from being hooked at the interior projection of the vehicle compartment.
As described above, the deployment-direction regulator of the above-mentioned aspect may be substantially triangular in vertical cross section, and may be either one of a projecting portion provided integral with the center-pillar garnish, a projecting portion provided integral with the getting-on/off assist grip, and a projecting portion provided integral with the slide plate. Each of the above-mentioned projecting portions guides the lower end of the corresponding portion of the air-bag body while regulating the deployment direction thereof toward the inside of the vehicle compartment. Accordingly, the lower end of the corresponding portion of the head-protection air-bag body can be effectively prevented from being hooked at the interior projection of the vehicle compartment. Moreover, the respective projecting portion need only be added to the center-pillar garnish, the getting-on/off assist grip or the slide plate. Such a simple structure allows the invention to be embodied at low cost. In the case of using the projecting portion provided in the slide plate, even when the slip joint is vertically adjusted in position, the slide plate is moved together therewith, so that the slip joint and the projecting portion are always kept in a fixed positional relation. Therefore, the lower end of the corresponding portion of the head-protection air-bag body can always be stably prevented from being hooked at the interior projection of the vehicle compartment.
According to a second aspect of the invention, a head-protection air-bag device includes a head-protection air-bag body that can be mounted in a folded state along a roof side rail, and deployed like a curtain so as to cover at least a center pillar from an inside of a vehicle compartment. A lower end of a corresponding portion of the head-protection air-bag body, i.e., a lower end of a portion that covers the center pillar upon inflation and deployment of the head-protection air-bag body, is shaped so as not to project downward from an inflation chamber.
Such a non-projecting shape may be formed by providing a non-inflatable extended portion at an end of the corresponding portion of the head-protection air-bag body, and folding back the extended portion upward toward an outside of the vehicle compartment and fixing the extended portion to the head-protection air-bag body or to the roof side rail. Alternatively, the non-projecting shape may be formed by folding the end of the corresponding portion of the head-protection air-bag body into the inflation chamber such that the folded portion projects into the inflation chamber.
In the head-protection air-bag body according to the second aspect of the invention, the lower end of the corresponding portion of the head-protection air-bag body does not project downward from the inflation chamber. Therefore, even if deployment is started in the state where the lower end of the corresponding portion that covers the center pillar upon inflation and deployment of the head-protection air-bag body is not sufficiently inflated, the lower end of the corresponding portion is not likely to be hooked at an interior projection of the vehicle compartment due to the non-projecting shape. Accordingly, the lower end of the corresponding portion of the head-protection air-bag body can be effectively prevented from being hooked at the interior projection of the vehicle compartment.
In the case where the non-projecting shape is formed by providing the non-inflatable extended portion at the end of the corresponding portion of the head-protection air-bag body, and folding back the extended portion upward toward the outside of the vehicle compartment and fixing the extended portion to the head-protection air-bag body or to the roof side rail, the non-inflatable extended portion can protectively cover and reinforce the corresponding portion (in which inflation chambers are usually formed) of the head-protection air-bag body from the outside of the vehicle compartment. As a result, the corresponding portion can be effectively prevented from being damaged from the outside of the vehicle compartment (e.g., the damage caused by the window glass).
According to a third aspect of the invention, a head-protection air-bag device includes a head-protection air-bag body that can be mounted in a folded state along a roof side rail, and deployed like a curtain so as to cover at least a center pillar from an inside of a vehicle compartment. The head-protection air-bag device includes a longitudinal inflation chamber provided in a lower end of a corresponding portion of the head-protection air-bag body, i.e., in a lower end of a portion that covers the center pillar upon inflation and deployment of the head-protection air-bag body, and that is inflated in an early stage of inflation and deployment.
In the head-protection air-bag body according to the third aspect of the invention, even if deployment is started in the state where the lower end of the corresponding portion that covers the center pillar upon inflation and deployment of the head-protection air-bag body is not sufficiently inflated, the longitudinal inflation chamber is inflated in the early stage of the inflation and deployment. As a result, the lower end of the corresponding portion of the head-protection air-bag body is not likely to be hooked at an interior projection of the vehicle compartment. Therefore, the lower end of the corresponding portion of the head-protection air-bag body can be effectively prevented from being hooked at the interior projection of the vehicle compartment.